Gaming machines which provide players awards in primary or base games are well known. Gaming machines generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate the primary or base game. In many of these gaming machines, the award is based on the player obtaining a winning symbol or symbol combination and based on the amount of the wager (e.g., the higher the wager, the higher the award). Symbols or symbol combinations which are less likely to occur usually provide higher awards.
In such known gaming machines, the amount of the wager made on the base game by the player varies. For instance, the gaming machine enables the player to wager a minimum number of credits, such as one credit (e.g., one cent, nickel, dime, quarter or dollar) up to a maximum number of credits, such as five credits. The player makes this wager a single time or multiple times in a single play of a primary game. For instance, a slot game having one or more paylines enables the player to make a wager on each payline in a single play of the primary game. Slot games with one, three, five, nine, fifteen, and twenty-five lines are widely commercially available. Thus, it is known that a gaming machine, such as a slot game, enables players to make wagers of substantially different amounts on each play of the primary or base game ranging, for example, from one credit up to one-hundred twenty-five credits (e.g., five credits on each of twenty-five separate paylines).
Secondary or bonus games are also known in gaming machines. The secondary or bonus games usually provide an additional award to the player. Secondary or bonus games usually do not require an additional wager by the player to be activated. Secondary or bonus games are generally activated or triggered upon an occurrence of a designated triggering symbol or triggering symbol combination in the primary or base game. For instance, a bonus symbol occurring on the payline on the third reel of a three reel slot machine triggers the secondary bonus game. When a secondary or bonus game is triggered, the gaming machines generally indicates this to the player through one or more visual and/or audio output devices, such as the reels, lights, speakers, video screens, etc. Part of the enjoyment and excitement of playing certain gaming machines is the occurrence of the secondary or bonus game (even before the player knows how much the bonus award will be).
Known non-wagering video games include a plurality of rounds. That is, for each round in such non-wagering video games, each of a plurality of players takes a turn (i.e., commits a game action). Such non-wagering video games are commonly referred to as turn-based games. One type of turn-based game, such as a waiting turn-based game, alternates individual game actions between the players (e.g., human or virtual) in a sequential, rather than a simultaneous, manner for each round. In such turn-based games, the round ends once each of the players has taken their respective turn. Another type of turn-based game, such as a real-time turn-based game (or an action turn-based game), enables each player to independently make individual game actions for each round and processes the results of each player's actions for that round in real-time. In such real-time turn-based games, the round ends once each of the players has taken their respective turn (which could include one or more player actions based on the speed of those actions). For example, in a real-time turn-based game, a first player makes two individual game actions and a second, faster player makes four individual game actions for their respective turn in the round. In this example, each individual game action is processed and/or displayed in real-time. Other known games, such as comparison games, enable each player to independently make individual game actions for each round and compare the results of each player's action for that round. Based on the results of one or more of the individual rounds, known turn-based games determine which player wins (or which players win) the turn-based game.
There is a continuing need to provide new and different gaming machines and gaming systems as well as new and different ways to enable players to play for and win awards, such as bonus awards. There is also a continuing need to provide new and different linked or related gaming machines.